Apparatus for sterilizing canned goods.



No. 628,554. Patented July Il, i899.

F. W. SMITH. S

APPARATUS lFUR STERILIZING CANNED GOODS.

(Application led Apt. 16, 1897.)

(No Model.)

f77/venan UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK IV. SMITH, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TC FREDERICK O. CONANT, OF SAME PLACE.

vAPPARATUS FOR STE-RILIZING CANNED GOODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,554, dated July 1 1, 1899'. Application led April 16, 1897. Serial No. 632.432. (No model.)

To all whom iff/may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilizing Canned Goods; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a convenient mechanism by means of which corn or other substances in hermeticallysealed cans or in other vessels may be subpassing through a closed chamber, the contents of said cans or vessels being agitated as they pass from end to end of such chamber.

I have embodied my invention in the device shown in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, a portion of the Wall of the cylinder being broken out to show the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with a detail ofthe conveyer and cooler. Fig. 3 is a detail showing in section a portion of the device when the, cylinder is placed on end, and Fig. ais a transverse section of the valve used with the modification of the cylinder shown in Fig. 3.

The cooking-chamber is an air-tight orv steam-tight cylinder A, mounted upon proper supports B B. Passing through its center from end to end is a shaft a, supported in proper journalsh h in either end of the cylinder A. Outside the cylinder the shaft carries at either end a sprocket-wheel c, and at one end the shaft is also provided with a beveled gear d, which matches with a smaller beveled gear e on the shaft f, which is provided with a pulley g. Within the cylinder A and fixed to its walls is a spiral or Worm h, which isshown in Fig. l. Within the space not occupied by the spiral is a fluted-cylinder 7c, which is fixed upon the shaft a, the space between the lower part of the Iiutings of the cylinder It and the'inner edge of the spiral being slightly larger than the radius of the can or other vessel to be processed. Upon the upper side of the cylinder, and preferably near the end at which power is applied, is a conveying-chute, journaled in which are the two shafts myn, which carry Within the chute the tapering or conical valves o and r, in each `of which is a recess s, which when the Inachine is used for processing cans should be of depth and length suiiicient to receive the cans. The end ofthe shaft m is threaded to receive the collar 1, which may be screwed on or off the shaft and retained in any position by means ofV the binding-screw 2. Between the collar 1 and the hub of the journal of the shaft m is placed a coil-spring 3. The oiiice of this spring is to set the' tapering valve o more firmly upon its seat, the ltension of the spring being controlled by adjusting the position of the collar 1. The shaft n is provided with a like collar and spring, the Same being located near the smaller end of the conical valve r. The shafts m and n are provided, respectively, withspur-gears p p', and the shaft n also carries the sprocket-Wheel t, which is connected by a chain u with the sprocket-wheel c. Asimilar chute with similar valves is provided upon the underside of the cylinder and at the opposite end. The upper portion of the upper chute connects with the conveyer n. There may be attached to the chute on the lower or under side of theV cylinder a conveyer and cooler s', as shown in Fig. 2.

w is a valve by which steam r'heat may be admitted to the cylinder A,`which may be also provided with a thermometers@ and steamgage y, such as are ordinarily used on processchambers. Y

As it is sometimes preferable to process certain substances With a vent in the can, in which case to avoid leakage of the contents an upright position of the can is necessary, a modification of the device is'shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the principal changes being that the cylinder is placed on end instead of upon its side, as shown in Fig. 1, and that the valve is also altered. The valve usedis shown in Fig. 4t, having upon either side a recess for the admission of the can or vessel.

In order to subject all parts of the'cans to the action of the heat or steam, the walls of the spiral and the flutings of the cylinder 7.a are perforated, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of the device is as follows:

roo

`which also is in rotation.

Assuming the material to be cooked, processed, or kiln-dried to be contained in cans, they are fed by hand or otherwise into the conveyert` at the top of the cylinderA,whence they are conveyed into the chute Z and pass into the recess Ct in the upper valve 0, which by rotation carries the can and drops it into thecorresponding recess s in the valve. r,

From the lastnamed recess the can is deposited in one of the flutings of the cylinder 7c, the upper edge of the segment of the can being within the spiral or worm 7L. The deposit of the next can from the valves 0l and r' is so timed by means of the rotation of the cylinder k and the valves o and r that it falls into the next luting of the cylinder. As this process is repeated the spiral z as the cylinder is rotated carries the cans gradually toward the other yend of the cylinder until they reach the chute upon the under side thereof, when the cans are discharged by the valves in thc lower chute by the reverse of the process at the upper chute. As the cans progress through the cylinder steam or hot air, which is admitted through thevalve w, thoroughly cooks or kiln-dries their contents, which are kept in a constant state of agitation by means of the rotation of the cylinder 7c.

|The location of the inlet and outlet chutes ymay be varied. By suitable variation in the treated may be admitted to and removed from the interior iiutings by means of slide-or block valves in the ends of the chamber A.

What I claim isl. In a machine for .processing food and other substances contained in cans or similar vessels, a hollow cylinder provided with a central shaft and means for rotating the same, said shaft carrying a iuted cylinder, a spiral or worm surrounding said last-named .cylinder, an inlet at one end of the upper side and an outlet at the other end of the lower side,

.steam-tight valves controlling said inlet and outlet'together with means for operating said valves, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for processing food and other substances contained in cans or other vessels, .a hollow cylinder having receiving and discharging ports, valves controlling said ports and means within said cylinder by which said cans or other vessels are carried spirally ,a Y l 628,554'

around said cylinder from one port to the other substantially as described.

3. The combination of a hollow cylinder having inlet and outlet ports, a spiral fixed to its inner walls, a fluted cylinder within said spiral, means for rotating said last-named cylinder and a steam or other heat supply communicating with said first-named cylinder, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for processing or drying goods, the combination of a steam-tight hol; low cylinder provided with an inlet and outlet port, within said cylinder a cylinder having upon its surface devices for receiving and holding the vessels or packages to be processed, and guiding the same from end to end of said last-named cylinder, means for rotating the last-named cylinder and a steam or heat supply connected with said first-named cylinder, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for processing or drying goods, the combination of a hollow cylinder provided with a port or ports, within said cylinder a cylinder having upon its surface devices for receiving and holding the vessels or packages to be processed, means for rotating said last-named cylinder whereby the said vessels or packages during a part or the whole of the revolution of said inner cylinder may be rotated upon their own axes as Well as around said cylinder and a stealn or heat supply communicating with said first-named cyl-4 inder, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for processing or drying goods, the combination of a hollow cylinder provided with inlet and outlet ports and a spiral fixed to its inner walls, a cylinder within said spiral having upon its surface devices for receiving and holding the vessels or packages to be processed while passing through the machine, :means for rotating said lastn-amed cylinder .whereby the said vessels or packages duri-ng a part or the whole of the revolution of said inner cylinder may be rotated and a steam or heat supply communieating with said first-named cylinder, substantially as described. 1

7. A retort or sterilizer for canned goods provided with inlet and outlet ports and a IOO IIO

steam or heat supply, an inclosing cylinder, 

